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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: content · pitcher · kid · wave · face · staff · dip · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. stem — a stem cell
  2. kid — to tease
  3. content — happy
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. dip — to sink
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. content — the amount
  20. kid — child
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. staff — employees
  23. stem — to come from
  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