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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. dip — to sink
  4. can — to be able to
  5. drill — a practice
  6. can — a tin
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. drill — army training
  10. roll — a cake
  11. band — a ring
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. band — a music group
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mug — a face
  19. drill — the tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. roll — a list
  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