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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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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: bulb · field · bank · lie · stem · spring · face · board

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spring — of water
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bank — for money
  8. stem — to come from
  9. spring — the season
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bulb — for light
  12. board — to get on
  13. field — for sport
  14. spring — a coil
  15. field — farmland
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. face — part of the head
  18. field — a subject
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. face — to confront
  24. board — a committee

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