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

Word bank: cell · stem · face · calf · craft · stick

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. craft — boats
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cell — a phone
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stem — to come from
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cell — in biology

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