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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. track — a song
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pop — soda
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pop — music
  9. spell — letters
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. stem — to come from
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pop — to visit
  16. spell — magic
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. track — a path
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. spell — a short time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. jam — in traffic

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