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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 120 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: face · board · temple · wake · stem · arm · track · spell

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. board — to get on
  7. spell — a short time
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. stem — to come from
  12. track — a path
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — magic
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spell — letters
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  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