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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chest — a box
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chest — of your body
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wound — an injury
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — for golf
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wound — an injury
  17. club — a group
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mate — to breed
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mate — a friend

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