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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fall — the season
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hand — help
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hand — in cards

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