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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — a law
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mark — a grade
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — to confront
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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