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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: face · bay · tear · sharp · lash · field · can · stem

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. field — for sport
  8. tear — to rip
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. sharp — clever
  15. field — farmland
  16. tear — from crying
  17. field — a subject
  18. can — to be able to
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. can — a tin

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