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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 120 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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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: cell · wound · stem · lash · foot · face · stick · root

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cell — a phone
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. cell — in biology
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. face — part of the head
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. root — of a word
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. face — to confront
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. root — the cause
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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