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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · patient · stem · clip · toast · wake · pit · lie

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. toast — bread
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stem — to come from
  12. clip — a video
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wake — a trail
  21. lie — to recline
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. clip — for paper
  24. dip — to dunk

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