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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. season — in sport
  3. plane — a tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. stock — shares
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stock — goods
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. staff — a stick
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stem — to come from
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. staff — employees
  24. bear — to put up with

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