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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. charge — electricity
  3. wind — moving air
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. charge — a price
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. field — farmland
  12. suit — in cards
  13. field — for sport
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. field — a subject
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — a division
  20. wind — moving air
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. face — part of the head
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. charge — in control

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