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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: stem · lash · sharp · face · cold · calf · bulb · content

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — the amount
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. content — happy
  8. face — to confront
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. sharp — clever
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cold — not warm
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. cold — an illness
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stem — to come from
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — of a plant

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