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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. content — the amount
  8. bass — low music
  9. fall — the season
  10. craft — boats
  11. lie — to recline
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. craft — a skill
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. content — happy
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bark — of a tree

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