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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stock — goods
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stock — shares
  7. stem — to come from
  8. band — a music group
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. band — a ring
  18. game — a match
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. stem — a stem cell

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