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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · stem · rush · mouse · rule · clip · pitch · bulb

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. face — to confront
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. clip — a video
  10. bulb — for light
  11. clip — for paper
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — government
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. clip — to cut
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rush — a thrill

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