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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stem — to come from
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. last — finally
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. board — to get on
  8. last — final
  9. track — a song
  10. last — to go on
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tear — to rip
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. face — to confront
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. track — a path
  19. board — a committee
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tear — from crying
  22. craft — boats
  23. face — part of the head
  24. tear — from crying

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