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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pop — soda
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. face — part of the head
  5. season — in sport
  6. stand — to bear
  7. craft — boats
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. face — to confront
  12. march — the month
  13. craft — a skill
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. face — to point toward
  17. march — the month
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. march — music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bore — to drill

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