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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — a country
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — in sport
  5. land — ground
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — a list
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — to come from
  13. land — to come down
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — with an edge

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