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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. season — of the year
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. season — in sport
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stem — to come from
  13. hand — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — a cup
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ball — a dance

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