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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 120 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: spring · stem · scale · hide · deal · wake · swing · face

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. swing — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. spring — a coil
  9. scale — size or range
  10. spring — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. face — part of the head
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — to come from
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spring — the season
  23. scale — in music
  24. face — to confront

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