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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — finally
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. drill — army training
  17. last — final
  18. drill — the tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. last — to go on

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