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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. face — to point toward
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. last — final
  6. date — the fruit
  7. last — to go on
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. face — to confront
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — bread
  13. chest — of your body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chest — of your body
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. last — finally
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chest — a box
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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