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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 120 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: stand · snap · foot · face · calf · fall · stem · spell

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. face — to confront
  6. fall — the season
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stem — to come from
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. snap — to click
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. spell — letters
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. face — to point toward
  24. foot — the bottom

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