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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: stem · net · stock · pass · deal · safe · march · face

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. march — the month
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stem — to come from
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. net — in sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stock — shares
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. face — to confront
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. deal — to handle
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pass — a permit

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