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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. kick — in football
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fall — to drop
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fall — the season
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — boats
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wound — an injury
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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