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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. present — the time now
  3. shower — rain
  4. mate — a friend
  5. tube — a container
  6. shower — to wash
  7. can — a tin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fine — high quality
  10. present — there
  11. can — to be able to
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mate — to breed
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. can — a tin
  18. stem — to come from
  19. present — a gift
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. tube — the underground
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mate — a partner

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