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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stem — to come from
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. toast — bread
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to confront

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