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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. root — the cause
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to point toward
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stem — to come from
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. chip — for betting
  19. root — of a word
  20. face — part of the head
  21. root — of a plant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. face — to confront
  24. mate — a partner

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