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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — a country
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chest — a box
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — to come down
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bore — to drill
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. land — ground
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. dip — a sauce

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