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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. dip — to sink
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tube — the underground
  13. stand — to bear
  14. root — the cause
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — for paper
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — a container
  24. clip — a video

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