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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. track — a song
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chest — a box
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. plane — a tool
  17. track — a path
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wind — moving air
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chest — of your body
  23. face — to confront
  24. deal — to handle

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