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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fork — in a road
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fall — the season
  23. suit — in cards
  24. stem — to come from

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