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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. face — part of the head
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to click
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. face — to confront
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. foot — a measure
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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