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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — a gift
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chip — for betting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — there
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. tube — a container
  18. spring — the season
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spring — of water
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — a coil

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