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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — boats
  7. stem — to come from
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. craft — a skill
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. field — a subject
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. rule — government
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rule — a law
  24. bulb — of a plant

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