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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stem — to come from
  4. land — to come down
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. land — ground
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — to sink
  24. safe — a strongbox

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