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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. face — to confront
  4. stem — to come from
  5. land — ground
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. suit — to fit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — part of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. press — a publisher
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. land — a country
  20. pit — a hole
  21. land — to come down
  22. pit — in a race
  23. hand — help
  24. press — to push

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