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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — to sink
  6. charge — in control
  7. spring — of water
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. track — a path
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cue — a hint
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. charge — a price
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cue — for pool
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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