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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. suit — to fit
  4. scale — in music
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kid — to tease
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. drill — army training
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mug — a face
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mug — a cup
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. suit — in cards
  22. drill — the tool
  23. kid — child
  24. dip — a sauce

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