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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. face — to confront
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. stem — to come from
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. wake — a trail
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mug — a face
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — on a finger

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