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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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