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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: snap · season · date · toast · firm · cell · face · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. face — to confront
  5. cell — a phone
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. firm — decided
  8. date — the fruit
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. firm — a company
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — part of the head
  17. cell — in biology
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. toast — bread
  22. snap — to click
  23. season — in sport
  24. firm — steady

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