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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mug — a cup
  3. file — a document
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tube — the underground
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. file — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a face
  23. lie — to recline
  24. tube — a container

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