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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — to point toward
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mug — a cup
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mug — a face
  13. rash — a series
  14. mug — to rob
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rule — a law
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. face — to confront
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rule — government
  24. nail — for a hammer

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