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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rock — a stone
  5. firm — a company
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. firm — steady
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chest — a box
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. firm — decided
  24. rock — music

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