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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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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 · fall · rest · cue · face · land · tube · bay

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. fall — the season
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — part of the head
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cue — a hint
  10. tube — a container
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rest — what's left
  13. land — ground
  14. rest — a break
  15. land — to come down
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. land — a country

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