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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mate — to breed
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pop — soda
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stem — to come from
  15. degree — from a university
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. degree — temperature
  19. face — to confront
  20. pop — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fan — a supporter

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