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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mark — a trace
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. net — after costs
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. fork — in a road
  13. net — in sport
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. net — for catching
  20. face — to point toward
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mark — a grade
  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