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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 is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. tear — to rip
  3. pop — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pop — soda
  6. key — in music
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. land — ground
  9. tear — from crying
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — a signal
  21. land — to come down
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stem — to come from
  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