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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. key — for a lock
  9. hand — help
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fall — the season
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stem — to come from
  23. key — in music
  24. hand — part of the body

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