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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: current · face · board · tube · cell · stem · toast · saw

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. current — happening now
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. current — of water
  6. toast — bread
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. board — a committee
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cell — in biology
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. face — to point toward
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stem — to come from
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tube — a container
  23. board — to get on
  24. cell — in a prison

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