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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: mark · bear · face · stem · deal · ground · root · mine

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. ground — the earth
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bear — the animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. face — to confront
  14. root — of a word
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mark — a grade
  22. ground — a position
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bear — the animal

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