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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. face — to confront
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — part of the head
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. row — a line
  16. pass — a permit
  17. last — finally
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. last — final
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com