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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mug — a face
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chest — a box
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. deal — to handle
  18. roll — a cake
  19. chest — of your body
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. roll — a list
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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