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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. row — to paddle
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stem — to come from
  5. spring — of water
  6. bound — certain
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bound — obliged
  9. field — a subject
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. row — a line
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bound — tied together
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. spring — a coil
  17. field — farmland
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. spring — the season
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. arm — part of the body
  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