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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. face — to confront
  10. net — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. net — after costs
  21. cue — for pool
  22. net — for catching
  23. current — happening now
  24. stem — of a plant

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