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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mate — to breed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ground — a position
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mate — a friend
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ground — the earth
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — a video
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — in cards
  22. foot — a measure
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lie — an untruth

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