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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: court · face · key · kick · rock · pass · stem · tube

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. court — of law
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. face — to point toward
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kick — in football
  13. court — for sport
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stem — to come from
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — in music
  18. face — to confront
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. face — part of the head

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