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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. land — ground
  6. root — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. court — of a king
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. court — of law
  12. stem — to come from
  13. land — to come down
  14. root — the cause
  15. club — a group
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. land — a country
  19. court — for sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. club — for golf
  22. fall — the season
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. club — for dancing

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