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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 · last · suit · track · rash · saw · stem · board

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. last — final
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. last — finally
  18. track — a song
  19. face — to point toward
  20. board — a committee
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — to go on

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