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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. net — in sport
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. net — after costs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — for catching
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. face — to point toward

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