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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mark — a trace
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — for betting
  15. perch — the fish
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. fine — all right
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — to come from
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — to dunk

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