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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stem — to come from
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fall — to drop
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. squash — to crush
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fall — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spring — the season
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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