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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: mug · press · jam · stem · dip · hand · cabinet · ball

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. press — a publisher
  17. dip — to sink
  18. press — to push
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mug — to rob
  21. hand — help
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mug — a face

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