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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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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. band — a ring
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. band — a music group
  7. root — the cause
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. key — in music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — to come from
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lie — to recline
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — to confront
  19. key — for a lock
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bear — the animal

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