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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a committee
  6. fall — the season
  7. stem — to come from
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ball — a dance
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a great time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. board — to get on
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. band — a music group
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. perch — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a ring
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. face — to confront

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