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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 120 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — to come from
  3. foot — a measure
  4. season — of the year
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lean — thin
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to confront
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lean — to bend
  13. season — in sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pop — music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pop — soda
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rush — hurry
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — to visit

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