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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. chest — a box
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. root — of a word
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. root — the cause
  15. craft — boats
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chest — of your body

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