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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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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: fall · stem · face · pound · band · safe · row · degree

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fall — the season
  6. face — to confront
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. degree — from a university
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. face — to point toward
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. row — to paddle
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. row — a line
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fall — to drop

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