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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stem — to come from
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. deal — to handle
  9. craft — a skill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cold — an illness
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cold — not warm
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cell — a phone
  24. stem — a stem cell

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