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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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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: dip · stem · file · rush · mate · chest · drill · tube

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. drill — army training
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. file — a document
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stem — to come from
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. tube — a container
  24. mate — a friend

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