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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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 point toward
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — clever
  5. craft — boats
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — part of the head
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stock — goods
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — shares
  16. craft — a skill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. face — to confront
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. staff — employees
  24. stem — to come from

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