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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — completely
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. root — of a word
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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