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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 · bat · temple · present · bass · face · coach · toast

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stem — to come from
  4. toast — bread
  5. present — a gift
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bass — the fish
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. face — to point toward
  15. present — there
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. face — part of the head
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. present — the time now
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. face — to confront

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