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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. suit — to fit
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. game — a match
  9. hand — help
  10. bound — certain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wake — a trail
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bound — obliged
  22. suit — clothes
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wake — before a funeral

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