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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — for catching
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bound — obliged
  7. face — to confront
  8. rule — a law
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. face — part of the head
  13. net — in sport
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. foot — a measure
  16. net — after costs
  17. cell — a phone
  18. face — to point toward
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rule — government
  21. bound — certain
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — in biology

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