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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.

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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: sharp · bowl · track · bear · hand · dip · squash · stem

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. squash — to crush
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. dip — to sink
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stem — to come from
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. track — a path
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. track — a song
  24. squash — the sport

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