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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. content — the amount
  3. face — to confront
  4. staff — employees
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — employees
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. face — part of the head
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — music
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. march — the month
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stem — to come from
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rock — a stone
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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