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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: bay · face · board · mark · club · temple · stem · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. club — a group
  10. stem — to come from
  11. land — to come down
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. club — for golf
  15. land — a country
  16. club — for dancing
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — part of the head
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mark — a grade
  22. face — to confront
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mark — a trace

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