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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. press — a publisher
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. march — music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. march — the month
  16. face — to confront
  17. press — to push
  18. foot — a measure
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. march — the month
  23. press — newspapers
  24. face — to point toward

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