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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. drill — army training
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. drill — the tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tear — from crying
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. dip — to sink
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. drill — a practice

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