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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. track — a song
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lie — to recline
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. track — a path
  9. race — a contest
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — to keep track
  18. race — humankind
  19. dip — to sink
  20. can — a tin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. race — the arms race

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