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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fall — to drop
  11. date — the fruit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fall — the season
  15. cue — a hint
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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