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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: dip · tear · net · lie · stem · kick · season · chip

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chip — for betting
  8. net — after costs
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chip — to eat
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. season — in sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — of the year
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stem — to come from
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. kick — in football

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