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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. firm — a company
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — decided
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. firm — steady

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