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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lean — thin
  20. fine — all right
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — the earth

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