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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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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: stem · lash · cap · firm · toast · can · bear · face

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. face — to confront
  8. firm — a company
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. can — to be able to
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. face — to point toward
  18. firm — decided
  19. toast — bread
  20. firm — steady
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stem — of a plant

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