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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. race — humankind
  6. tube — a container
  7. dip — to sink
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stem — to come from
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. plane — a tool
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. hand — help
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. race — a contest
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lie — to recline
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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