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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. face — to point toward
  3. last — finally
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. face — to confront
  10. last — to go on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cold — an illness
  15. firm — a company
  16. last — final
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cold — not warm
  24. firm — steady

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