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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fine — high quality
  11. can — a tin
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fine — all right
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — a law
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wind — to turn a key

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