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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. field — for sport
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bound — tied together
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rock — a stone
  8. snap — to click
  9. staff — employees
  10. stem — to come from
  11. face — to confront
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. field — farmland
  16. bound — obliged
  17. face — to point toward
  18. staff — a stick
  19. field — a subject
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bound — certain
  24. rock — music

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