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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: ball · fan · object · toast · shower · face · board · stem

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. ball — a great time
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. object — an aim
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — to protest
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to confront
  13. shower — to wash
  14. object — a thing
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ball — a dance
  17. shower — rain
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. board — to get on
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. board — a committee

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