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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · calf · land · face · cell · patient · stem · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. land — ground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to confront
  5. face — part of the head
  6. land — to come down
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — a country
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a dance
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cell — a phone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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