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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: stem · rest · toast · ball · shower · lash · present · key

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. key — in music
  5. rest — a break
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. stem — to come from
  10. shower — rain
  11. ball — a dance
  12. key — the most important part
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. key — for a lock
  15. present — the time now
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. toast — the most admired

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