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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. object — to protest
  3. face — to point toward
  4. object — an aim
  5. can — a tin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. object — a thing
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — for money
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bank — of a river
  22. clip — for paper
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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