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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. object — to protest
  6. fine — high quality
  7. object — an aim
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. field — a subject
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fine — all right
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. object — a thing

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