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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rock — a stone
  4. face — to confront
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. lie — to recline
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rock — music
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. face — to point toward
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — of a plant

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