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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rock — music
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. file — a tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lie — to recline
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a document
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. file — a line of people
  24. can — to be able to

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