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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. pop — to visit
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pop — soda
  10. cue — for pool
  11. present — a gift
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a music group
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. present — the time now
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. present — there

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