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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: toast · hide · bore · rash · mouse · lie · stem · date

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. toast — bread
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rash — hasty
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rash — a series
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hide — animal skin

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