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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. last — to go on
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — of water
  8. last — finally
  9. press — to push
  10. current — electric
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. content — the amount
  14. mug — a face
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. press — a publisher
  17. dip — to sink
  18. current — happening now
  19. content — happy
  20. mug — a cup
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. last — final
  23. bass — the fish
  24. stem — a stem cell

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