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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. tube — a container
  5. firm — steady
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. face — to confront
  12. tube — the underground
  13. firm — decided
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hand — help
  23. firm — a company
  24. tube — in a tire

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