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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: mine · stem · land · saw · pass · swing · fork · face

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. face — to confront
  5. swing — music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. land — a country
  8. stem — to come from
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. land — ground
  17. swing — in golf
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fork — in a road
  22. land — to come down
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. saw — the tool

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