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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 · staff · fine · leaves · fall · shower · field · stem

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — farmland
  6. fine — all right
  7. fall — the season
  8. stem — to come from
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. shower — to wash
  13. fine — high quality
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. field — a subject
  16. face — to point toward
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. field — for sport
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — to confront
  21. shower — rain
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. face — part of the head
  24. staff — a stick

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