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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fine — all right
  6. band — a ring
  7. stem — to come from
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. key — the most important part
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. fine — high quality
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. band — a music group
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. dip — to sink
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to click

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