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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 120 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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stem — to come from
  3. dip — to sink
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chest — a box
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. land — ground
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. land — to come down
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chest — of your body
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. land — a country
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pit — in a race

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