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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
468
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: jam · face · stem · date · wound · craft · toast · track

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. toast — bread
  4. date — the fruit
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. face — part of the head
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. face — to confront
  15. craft — boats
  16. face — to point toward
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a skill

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