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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mate — a friend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mate — to breed
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. perch — for a bird

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