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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mine — for digging
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. dip — to sink

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