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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — to come from
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitch — completely
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tear — from crying
  18. can — a tin
  19. bound — tied together
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. dip — to sink
  23. can — to be able to
  24. chip — for betting

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