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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: spring · rock · temple · stem · can · face · wound · wake

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. spring — of water
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. can — to be able to
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rock — music
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. face — to confront
  21. spring — the season
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rock — a stone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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