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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. march — the month
  3. perch — the fish
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. present — there
  6. file — a tool
  7. stem — to come from
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. march — the month
  12. fine — all right
  13. present — the time now
  14. fine — high quality
  15. file — a document
  16. face — to confront
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a line of people
  22. present — a gift
  23. face — part of the head
  24. march — music

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