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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rush — hurry
  3. land — ground
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tube — a container
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. tube — the underground
  10. land — a country
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — to confront
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. ball — a great time
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ball — a dance
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — to come down

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