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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. pop — music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — to point toward
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. face — part of the head
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pop — to visit
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pop — soda
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — to confront

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