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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mate — a friend
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — to come down
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mark — a trace
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bulb — for light
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. dip — to sink
  18. land — a country
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mate — to breed
  23. land — ground
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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