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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. present — the time now
  8. face — to point toward
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — a gift
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. field — for sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. present — there
  18. field — farmland
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bear — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. stem — to come from
  23. snap — to click
  24. suit — clothes

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