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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 124 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. scale — in music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — to wash
  12. face — to confront
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. scale — size or range
  16. shower — rain
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tube — a container
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. can — to be able to
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wound — an injury
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. face — to point toward

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