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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — there
  6. track — to keep track
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — for golf
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. present — the time now
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — a path
  15. face — part of the head
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. track — a song
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — to drop
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fall — to drop

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