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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. present — there
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. face — part of the head
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bound — certain
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a great time
  16. present — a gift
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. face — to confront
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — the time now
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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