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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mug — a face
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mug — a cup
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitch — completely
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cold — not warm
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stem — to come from
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mug — to rob

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