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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: hide · face · degree · foot · cap · dip · lash · stem

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. face — to confront
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — to come from
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. degree — an amount
  15. cap — a lid
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cap — a hat
  18. degree — temperature
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. degree — from a university
  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