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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mug — a face
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mug — to rob
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mark — a trace
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. stem — to come from
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pound — to hit hard

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