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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mug — a face
  3. club — for golf
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. staff — a stick
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — a cup
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — to rob
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. staff — employees
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. tear — from crying
  23. club — a group
  24. present — the time now

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