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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — to paddle
  5. face — part of the head
  6. clip — a video
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. face — to point toward
  11. staff — a stick
  12. stock — shares
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. row — a line
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stock — goods
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. clip — to cut
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. clip — for paper

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