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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pop — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a face
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pop — to visit
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mug — to rob
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. face — part of the head
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rest — what's left
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rest — a break

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