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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · toast · tear · cap · ball · fan · stem · fine

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fine — all right
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. toast — bread
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stem — to come from
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fine — high quality
  22. key — in music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. key — for a lock

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