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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. spell — magic
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ground — crushed
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. staff — employees
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ground — a position
  11. fork — in a road
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pit — in a race
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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