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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: toast · kick · stem · land · track · date · press · safe

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. toast — bread
  6. land — to come down
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. land — a country
  13. date — the fruit
  14. press — newspapers
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. kick — in football
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — a path
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. press — to push
  24. kick — a thrill

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