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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. suit — in cards
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stem — to come from

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