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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. can — to be able to
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — to point toward
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spell — a short time
  10. staff — employees
  11. chair — a leader
  12. degree — from a university
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — an amount
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stem — to come from
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — lets stay

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