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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: face · lie · stem · bulb · race · board · mouse · capital

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. face — to confront
  10. race — humankind
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. stem — to come from
  15. face — to point toward
  16. capital — a city
  17. board — a committee
  18. capital — money
  19. race — the arms race
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. race — a contest
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mouse — for a computer

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