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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. can — a tin
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mug — to rob
  9. can — to be able to
  10. kid — child
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. ground — a position
  22. mug — a face
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. sharp — exactly

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