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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. date — the fruit
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fan — a supporter

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