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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. degree — temperature
  5. key — for a lock
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. degree — an amount
  12. key — in music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. key — the most important part
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. degree — from a university
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. dip — a sauce

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