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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cap · bass · content · dip · field · hide · lie

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. dip — to sink
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lie — to recline
  6. field — a subject
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. field — for sport
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. field — farmland
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. content — happy
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cap — a lid
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. dip — a sauce

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