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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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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: bear · stem · spell · bulb · spring · face · arm · mark

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — to confront
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — magic
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spring — the season
  13. spell — letters
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — part of the head
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. mark — a grade
  21. face — to point toward
  22. spring — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a trace

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