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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stem — to come from
  9. clip — for paper
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. clip — a video
  14. key — in music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. key — the most important part

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