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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. clip — a video
  7. chest — a box
  8. clip — to cut
  9. object — to protest
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stem — to come from
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. object — a thing
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — for paper
  19. object — an aim
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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