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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 124 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. face — to point toward
  3. band — a music group
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bound — obliged
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. face — part of the head
  10. track — a path
  11. charge — in control
  12. bound — certain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. track — to keep track
  15. charge — a price
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fine — all right
  20. track — a song
  21. band — a ring
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bound — tied together

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