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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — to come from
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rash — hasty
  7. kick — in football
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a match
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. rash — a series
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. capital — a city
  23. lean — thin
  24. rash — on the skin

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