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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. present — a gift
  5. can — a tin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. row — a line
  9. face — to point toward
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. stem — to come from
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — the time now
  15. face — part of the head
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — to protest
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. present — there
  20. face — to confront
  21. object — a thing
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. row — to paddle
  24. object — an aim

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