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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. spring — the season
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. field — farmland
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. spring — a coil
  24. field — for sport

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