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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: suit · stem · staff · last · land · face · present · pound

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. staff — employees
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. staff — employees
  7. land — a country
  8. last — finally
  9. face — part of the head
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. stem — to come from
  13. land — ground
  14. face — to confront
  15. land — to come down
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. last — to go on
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. face — to point toward
  21. last — final
  22. present — there
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. suit — to fit

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