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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. march — music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. current — happening now
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. root — of a plant
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — to bear
  17. root — of a word
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. root — the cause
  20. march — the month
  21. face — to confront
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. current — of water
  24. face — to point toward

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