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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. face — to confront
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — to come from
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. face — to point toward
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. march — music
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. march — the month
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fine — a penalty

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