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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. face — to point toward
  3. race — a contest
  4. bound — obliged
  5. race — humankind
  6. ground — a position
  7. race — the arms race
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bound — tied together
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — part of the head
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bound — certain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spell — letters
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. face — to confront
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mate — a partner

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