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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — to sink
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. present — a gift
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — the time now
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  24. present — there

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