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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: mouse · stem · stick · bore · face · cell · hand · pound

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bore — to drill
  3. pound — a weight
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hand — in cards
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. face — to confront
  18. hand — help
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stem — a stem cell

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