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

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — to come from
  9. object — an aim
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stem — a stem cell

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