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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: bound · mark · craft · calf · stem · tear · face · ground

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bound — certain
  6. ground — crushed
  7. tear — from crying
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stem — to come from
  11. face — to confront
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ground — a position
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. craft — a skill
  22. tear — to rip
  23. ground — the earth
  24. craft — boats

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