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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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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. stem — to come from
  3. face — part of the head
  4. key — in music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. face — to point toward
  13. key — for a lock
  14. face — to confront
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. toast — bread
  17. key — the most important part
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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