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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. present — a gift
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — to confront
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. present — there
  11. net — for catching
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. drill — the tool
  15. present — the time now
  16. net — after costs
  17. mate — a friend
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cap — a hat
  21. net — in sport
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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