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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stem · firm · spring · stick · track · arm · can

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. firm — decided
  3. spring — a coil
  4. face — to confront
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spring — the season
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. face — to point toward
  10. firm — steady
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — to be able to
  13. spring — of water
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. firm — a company
  17. can — a tin
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. track — a path
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. arm — part of the body

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