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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bound — tied together
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. land — ground
  7. present — the time now
  8. face — to confront
  9. present — a gift
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — certain
  14. craft — a skill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. land — to come down
  18. bound — obliged
  19. face — part of the head
  20. craft — boats
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — there
  23. land — a country
  24. stem — of a plant

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