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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. season — in sport
  6. tube — a container
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tube — the underground
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — of the year
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stem — to come from
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — to sink
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — of a plant

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