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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tube — a container
  10. pass — a permit
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rush — hurry
  19. dip — to sink
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. tube — the underground
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pop — music

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