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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kick — in football
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mark — a grade
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. clip — a video
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wax — for sculpting

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