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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spell — a short time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spell — magic
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. tube — a container
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cap — a lid
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stem — to come from
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cap — of ice
  19. spell — letters
  20. rock — music
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rock — a stone

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