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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. date — the fruit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. face — part of the head
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. vault — a safe
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — to confront
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — to handle
  24. face — to point toward

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