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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. hand — help
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hand — in cards
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — magic
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — bread
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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