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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 · mouse · bass · wave · mark · rule · cap · stem

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bass — the fish
  5. face — to confront
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bass — low music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mark — to pay attention

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