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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to point toward
  3. staff — employees
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — a stick
  15. field — a subject
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. face — to confront
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. staff — employees

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