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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — employees
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. staff — employees
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — boats
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. land — ground
  10. craft — a skill
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. cap — a lid
  13. land — to come down
  14. lie — to recline
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cap — a hat
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — a country

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