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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: wave · bay · stem · bulb · tear · deal · mate · face

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stem — to come from
  4. face — to confront
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tear — to rip
  19. tear — from crying
  20. face — part of the head
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. deal — a big deal

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