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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: face · spring · field · stem · object · root · bulb · lie

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — to point toward
  4. root — of a word
  5. face — part of the head
  6. field — a subject
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — a thing
  10. field — farmland
  11. bulb — for light
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. field — for sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. face — to confront
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — the cause

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