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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. face — to confront
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bass — the fish
  12. capital — money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bass — low music
  16. face — part of the head
  17. wind — moving air
  18. face — to point toward
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wind — moving air
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. capital — a city

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