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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. dip — to sink
  3. court — for sport
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mark — a trace

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