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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stem — to come from
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — to eat
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — to point toward
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rash — hasty
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rash — a series
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stem — a stem cell

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