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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. face — to confront
  3. stem — to come from
  4. face — part of the head
  5. season — in sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. capital — a city
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. season — of the year
  21. face — to point toward
  22. lean — thin
  23. capital — money
  24. foot — part of the body

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