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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. face — part of the head
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. branch — a division
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. snap — to click
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. scale — size or range
  23. face — to confront
  24. patient — a sick person

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