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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — final
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. charge — a price
  6. can — a tin
  7. face — to confront
  8. bass — low music
  9. last — finally
  10. face — to point toward
  11. track — a song
  12. stem — to come from
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — to go on
  15. track — to keep track
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. track — a path
  19. charge — electricity
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. can — to be able to

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