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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. season — in sport
  3. stem — to come from
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bound — tied together
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. season — of the year
  11. suit — in cards
  12. face — to confront
  13. bound — certain
  14. snap — to click
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. field — for sport
  19. bound — obliged
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. suit — clothes
  22. band — a ring
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. suit — to fit

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