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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mark — a trace
  6. charge — in control
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — a country
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. charge — a price
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. land — ground
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. degree — an amount

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