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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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Word bank
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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: mine · toast · rash · leaves · deal · bowl · stem · kid

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. toast — bread
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rash — a series
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kid — child

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