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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · row · ball · face · stem · object · cell · rash

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ball — a great time
  4. object — an aim
  5. ball — a dance
  6. object — a thing
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. object — to protest
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. face — to confront
  16. staff — employees
  17. cell — a phone
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rash — a series
  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