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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: lie · spring · mate · net · stem · face · fork · bear

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — in a road
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — to breed
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. mate — a friend
  15. net — in sport
  16. face — to confront
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spring — a coil
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stem — a stem cell

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