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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
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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: capital · mouse · season · plane · face · toast · snap · stem

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. face — to confront
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. capital — a city
  18. toast — bread
  19. plane — a tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. snap — to click
  22. stem — to come from
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. season — of the year

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