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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: chair · face · suit · date · rest · stem · toast · tube

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. tube — a container
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. face — to confront
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chair — a leader
  14. suit — to fit
  15. toast — bread
  16. rest — a break
  17. stem — to come from
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. face — to point toward
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tube — the underground
  24. suit — clothes

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