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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bank — of a river
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. present — there
  12. bank — for money
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. present — the time now
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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