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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. present — there
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tube — the underground
  12. lie — to recline
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. face — to confront
  16. present — the time now
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stem — to come from
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. present — a gift
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. tube — a container
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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