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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. date — the fruit
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ground — a position
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — to come from
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bank — of a river

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