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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: spell · coach · safe · face · stem · field · foot · bank

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — magic
  3. bank — for money
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. field — farmland
  8. spell — letters
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. field — a subject
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. foot — a measure
  17. face — part of the head
  18. field — for sport
  19. face — to point toward
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bank — of a river
  24. face — to confront

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