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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 120 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. present — there
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. file — a line of people
  9. tear — to rip
  10. present — the time now
  11. suit — in cards
  12. craft — boats
  13. file — a document
  14. present — a gift
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wax — to grow
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — to fit
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. file — a tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — to come from

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