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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. roll — a list
  8. stem — to come from
  9. file — a line of people
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. press — to push
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. dip — to sink
  16. file — a tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tear — to rip
  19. press — a publisher
  20. roll — a cake
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. press — newspapers
  24. file — a document

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