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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: stand · prune · face · deal · stem · lie · present · squash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stand — to bear
  4. present — a gift
  5. squash — the sport
  6. face — part of the head
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. deal — to handle
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. face — to confront
  15. stem — to come from
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — the time now
  22. face — to point toward
  23. present — there
  24. stem — of a plant

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