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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
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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: pop · stem · spell · face · bear · bay · row · scale

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stem — to come from
  11. spell — letters
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pop — to visit
  15. row — a line
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. scale — in music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — a short time
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bay — a horse colour

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