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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. prune — to trim
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — a position
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lie — to recline
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rule — government

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