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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. face — to confront
  5. hand — in cards
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fork — in a road
  9. face — to point toward
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. charge — a price
  19. hand — help
  20. charge — in control
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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