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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chip — for betting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — to eat
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mine — an explosive

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