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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 116 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. spring — a coil
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. face — to confront
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. scale — in music
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stem — to come from
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mouse — the animal

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