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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: stem · season · swing · toast · branch · foot · face · dip

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. swing — in golf
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — of the year
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. dip — to sink
  12. branch — a division
  13. foot — a measure
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. toast — bread
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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