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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. charge — electricity
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a leader
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. charge — in control
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. charge — a price
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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