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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bound — tied together
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. face — part of the head
  6. game — a match
  7. row — a line
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rest — a break
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bound — certain
  18. rest — what's left
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stem — to come from
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rest — what's left
  24. date — the fruit

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