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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — the time now
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fine — all right
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — there
  18. track — a path
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. track — a song
  24. fine — high quality

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