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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. march — music
  3. stem — to come from
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. face — part of the head
  6. last — to go on
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. face — to confront
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — a friend
  13. suit — in cards
  14. last — finally
  15. face — to point toward
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — to breed
  20. last — final
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. march — the month

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