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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. object — an aim
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. object — a thing
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mine — for digging
  9. dip — to sink
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal

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