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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — music
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. chest — of your body
  15. swing — in golf
  16. face — to confront
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rule — a law
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. face — to point toward
  23. chest — of your body
  24. face — part of the head

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