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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. face — part of the head
  3. hand — in cards
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stem — to come from
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hand — help
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cap — of ice
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. toast — bread
  17. chest — a box
  18. mug — a face
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. craft — boats
  22. mug — a cup
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cap — a hat

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