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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 116 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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pop — music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rule — government
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — to bear
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pop — soda
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pit — a hole

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