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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. face — to confront
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fine — all right
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fine — high quality
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. track — a path
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. track — a song
  12. rock — a stone
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — goods
  17. fall — the season
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rock — music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stock — shares
  24. fall — to drop

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