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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. band — a music group
  3. charge — electricity
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. date — the fruit
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. charge — in control
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. face — part of the head
  14. stem — to come from
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tube — a container
  19. band — a ring
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. charge — a price
  24. toast — bread

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