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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: face · spell · stem · cell · pass · firm · cap · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cell — in biology
  5. spell — letters
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. can — a tin
  9. firm — a company
  10. cap — of ice
  11. firm — decided
  12. pass — a permit
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cell — a phone
  17. spell — magic
  18. firm — steady
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. stem — of a plant

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