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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. craft — boats
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. face — part of the head
  7. degree — from a university
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — to confront
  11. object — a thing
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stem — to come from
  24. craft — a handicraft

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