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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 120 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: row · rule · mate · face · stem · track · present · chip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rule — a law
  5. present — the time now
  6. track — a song
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mate — a partner
  10. row — a line
  11. mate — to breed
  12. track — a path
  13. row — to paddle
  14. present — a gift
  15. rule — government
  16. present — there
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — to point toward
  24. track — to keep track

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