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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 116 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: stem · craft · lean · dip · cabinet · pop · fine · mine

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — soda
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lean — thin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. fine — all right
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. craft — a skill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. craft — boats
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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