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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 124 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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stem — to come from
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bore — to drill
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. plane — a tool

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