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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. march — music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. march — the month
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cap — of ice
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. march — the month
  19. face — to confront
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. cap — a hat

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