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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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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: bear · wave · pit · fall · face · stem · craft · clip

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pit — in a race
  5. clip — to cut
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. clip — a video
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. face — to confront
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. craft — boats
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fall — the season
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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