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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: face · board · racket · stem · bound · spring · cue · last

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cue — a signal
  4. board — a committee
  5. face — to point toward
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bound — certain
  8. last — to go on
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cue — a hint
  13. spring — of water
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. face — to confront
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. last — finally
  20. spring — the season
  21. board — to get on
  22. face — part of the head
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. last — final

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