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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. spring — the season
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. face — to point toward
  7. shower — rain
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stand — to bear
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — a company
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stem — to come from
  15. firm — decided
  16. shower — to wash
  17. face — to confront
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spring — of water
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. firm — steady
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wound — an injury

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