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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.

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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — to recline
  4. content — happy
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. content — the amount
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. board — a committee
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bulb — for light
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stem — to come from
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — an untruth

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