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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. kick — in football
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. face — to confront
  8. stem — to come from
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. charge — a price
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. row — a line
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. charge — in control
  24. squash — to crush

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