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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: toast · stem · bay · racket · pass · charge · lean · face

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. face — to confront
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stem — to come from
  6. toast — bread
  7. charge — electricity
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lean — thin

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