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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. field — farmland
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. field — for sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rash — a series
  12. clip — a video
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stem — to come from
  15. club — a group
  16. clip — to cut
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. clip — for paper
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stem — of a plant

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