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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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 dunk
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. ball — a dance
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — the season
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spring — a coil
  22. ball — a great time
  23. spring — of water
  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