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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — to come from
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. season — of the year
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mate — a friend
  14. face — to point toward
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pit — a hole
  18. scale — in music
  19. pit — in a race
  20. season — in sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — to confront

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