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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. face — part of the head
  7. land — to come down
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to confront
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. land — ground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. land — a country
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — of a tree

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