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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — there
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. present — the time now
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stem — to come from
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a song
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. track — a path
  14. toast — bread
  15. present — a gift
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret

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