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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rash — a series
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cabinet — ministers

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