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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. firm — a company
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — to drop
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wound — an injury
  15. fall — to drop
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. fall — the season
  18. firm — decided
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. face — to confront
  24. stem — to come from

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