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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chip — for betting
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — of a plant

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