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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. season — of the year
  4. tube — the underground
  5. present — there
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. face — part of the head
  9. march — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. march — the month
  12. stem — to come from
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. tube — a container
  18. present — the time now
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — in sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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