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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mine — for digging
  3. object — a thing
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. chest — a box
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mug — a face
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mug — to rob
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bass — low music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. object — to protest
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. object — an aim
  24. hide — to keep secret

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