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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. face — to confront
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. swing — music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — a safe
  15. swing — to play on
  16. prune — to trim
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. land — to come down
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. face — to point toward
  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