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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: firm · stem · clip · rush · present · rock · rash · toast

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. present — a gift
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. present — the time now
  8. rock — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. rash — a series
  12. clip — to cut
  13. firm — a company
  14. present — there
  15. stem — to come from
  16. toast — bread
  17. clip — a video
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. clip — for paper
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stem — of a plant

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