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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. last — to go on
  3. rock — a stone
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. season — of the year
  6. face — to confront
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. face — part of the head
  14. season — in sport
  15. last — finally
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. last — final
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ground — crushed
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ground — a position

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