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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: calf · stem · face · toast · fine · racket · mouse · content

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. content — happy
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. face — to point toward
  13. toast — bread
  14. content — the amount
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. face — to confront
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — all right
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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