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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. key — in music
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. season — of the year
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — certain
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. key — the most important part
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. season — in sport

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