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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
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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: foot · patient · hide · face · stem · lash · chair · pop

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pop — soda
  5. stem — to come from
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pop — music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — a measure
  22. face — to confront
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. chair — a leader

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