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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wind — moving air
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. face — to confront
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fine — all right
  10. face — part of the head
  11. roll — a list
  12. club — for golf
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pass — a permit
  22. club — a group
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. face — to point toward

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