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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. face — to confront
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lean — thin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — for a lock
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. face — to point toward
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stem — to come from
  21. key — in music
  22. chest — a box
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bulb — for light

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