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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hand — help
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a ring
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. land — a country
  11. rest — a break
  12. face — to confront
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. land — ground
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. face — part of the head
  23. band — a music group
  24. safe — out of danger

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