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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. dip — to sink
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stem — to come from
  6. field — for sport
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — farmland
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rest — what's left
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. rest — a break
  15. content — the amount
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — a subject
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. content — happy

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