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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. face — to confront
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — employees
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. face — to point toward
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rash — a series
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. face — part of the head
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rock — music
  23. cold — an illness
  24. staff — employees

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