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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: jam · mug · last · pop · plane · stem · pit · face

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. mug — a face
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — a cup
  5. last — finally
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. face — to confront
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. mug — to rob
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. plane — a tool
  18. last — final
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. last — to go on
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pop — music

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