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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. march — music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — a tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. season — of the year
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — in sport

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