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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. key — for a lock
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bass — low music
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cell — in biology
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stem — to come from
  19. key — in music
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — a supporter

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