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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. hand — in cards
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — farmland
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. field — for sport
  10. key — the most important part
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pass — a permit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. hand — help
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stem — to come from
  20. key — in music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. field — a subject
  24. face — part of the head

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