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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · bear · face · stem · deal · ground

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ground — a position
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. face — to confront
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ground — crushed
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bear — to put up with

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