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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.

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: wake · scale · stem · pop · bear · saw · dip · stick

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. pop — to visit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — to come from
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. dip — to dunk

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