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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. firm — a company
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. drill — army training
  9. firm — steady
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. face — to confront
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — decided
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chest — a box
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stem — a stem cell

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