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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. season — in sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. capital — a city
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — money
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. date — the fruit
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. season — of the year
  18. stem — to come from
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bore — to tire

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