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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: toast · tear · trunk · safe · fall · stem · dip · face

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fall — to drop
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. face — to point toward
  5. fall — to drop
  6. face — to confront
  7. tear — from crying
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. face — part of the head
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fall — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stem — to come from
  24. dip — a sauce

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