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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. squash — the sport
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. face — part of the head
  9. scale — in music
  10. content — happy
  11. rest — a break
  12. face — to confront
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. scale — size or range
  15. content — the amount
  16. face — to point toward
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — to crush

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