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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: face · bear · mug · file · stem · lie · wound · lash

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stem — to come from
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mug — a face
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mug — a cup
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. face — to confront
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — to recline

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