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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 · squash · nail · temple · field · stem · arm · lie

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. squash — to crush
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lie — to recline
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. face — to point toward
  16. field — a subject
  17. stem — to come from
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. squash — the sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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