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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. suit — to fit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. club — for dancing
  10. suit — in cards
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. suit — clothes
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. club — a group
  16. capital — money
  17. kick — in football
  18. wake — a trail
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. capital — a city
  24. dip — to sink

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