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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fine — high quality
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. pop — music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. content — the amount
  12. fine — all right
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pop — soda
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. content — happy
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — the time now
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lie — to recline

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