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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 124 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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stem — to come from
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. swing — music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. swing — to play on
  19. last — finally
  20. tube — a container
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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