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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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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 · firm · stem · bank · cell · season · mate · face

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. face — part of the head
  3. firm — steady
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bank — for money
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mate — a friend
  8. face — to confront
  9. firm — a company
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. toast — bread
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in biology
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. firm — decided
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mate — a partner
  21. season — in sport
  22. face — to point toward
  23. season — of the year
  24. bank — for money

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