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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. face — to confront
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. face — to point toward
  6. branch — a division
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stem — to come from
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. land — ground
  22. can — a tin
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stem — of a plant

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