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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — an injury
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — a container
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fall — the season

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