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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. content — the amount
  3. dip — to sink
  4. suit — clothes
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stem — to come from
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. drill — army training
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stock — shares
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. content — happy
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — in cards
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stock — goods
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. leaves — to go away

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