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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: stem · land · staff · rush · spell · lie · face · rock

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — magic
  8. face — part of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. staff — a stick
  12. land — ground
  13. face — to confront
  14. land — a country
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — hurry
  22. face — to point toward
  23. land — to come down
  24. spell — a short time

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