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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. lie — to recline
  3. last — final
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — a country
  6. suit — to fit
  7. land — to come down
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — to go on
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. suit — in cards
  18. land — ground
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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