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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to point toward
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rock — music
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. tube — the underground
  14. file — a tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tube — a container
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. file — a document
  23. face — to confront
  24. stem — of a plant

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