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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rock — music
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bound — obliged
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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