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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: mine · rock · deal · arm · court · stem · face · lie

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. face — to point toward
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. face — to confront
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rock — a stone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rock — music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. court — of law
  22. lie — to recline
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mine — an explosive

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