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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rest — a break
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stock — shares
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rest — what's left
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bulb — for light
  16. dip — to sink
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stock — goods
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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