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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: nail · stem · toast · mug · firm · content · cold · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fine — high quality
  4. content — happy
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mug — a cup
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. firm — decided
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cold — an illness
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. toast — bread
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. firm — a company
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. mug — a face
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. content — the amount
  24. firm — steady

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