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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. face — part of the head
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bound — certain
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. charge — a price
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bass — low music
  21. charge — in control
  22. cap — a hat
  23. face — to confront
  24. bowl — to roll

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