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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cap — of ice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. band — a ring
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. face — to confront
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. band — a music group
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. mouse — the animal

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