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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · toast · face · fall · jam · stem

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fall — the season
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fall — to drop
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — to come from
  10. face — part of the head
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fine — all right
  14. face — to confront
  15. fall — to drop
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. face — to point toward
  18. jam — in traffic

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