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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. dip — to sink
  4. spell — a short time
  5. net — after costs
  6. vault — a safe
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stem — to come from
  14. net — in sport
  15. last — to go on
  16. spell — magic
  17. fine — all right
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. fine — high quality
  24. spell — letters

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