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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stock — shares
  4. face — part of the head
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rule — a law
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. stock — goods
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. face — to confront
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. rule — government
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pit — in a race
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hide — animal skin

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