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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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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: rock · cap · cabinet · pound · mate · face · deal · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mate — to breed
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. face — to confront
  12. deal — to handle
  13. mate — a partner
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stem — to come from

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