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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. face — to confront
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — a gift
  6. shower — rain
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mark — a grade
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mark — a trace
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. game — a match

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