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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — of water
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — to come from
  12. face — to confront
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — happening now
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. face — to point toward
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — electric
  24. fall — to drop

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