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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. tear — to rip
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — to confront
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. tear — from crying
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — part of the head
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. spell — a short time
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. scale — in music
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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