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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · game · bat · stem · temple · track · dip · stick

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a match
  11. tube — a container
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. track — a path
  18. track — a song
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. tube — the underground

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