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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 116 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. dip — to sink
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. can — to be able to
  12. content — the amount
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. can — a tin
  16. content — happy
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. can — a tin
  24. dip — to dunk

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