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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. stem — to come from
  5. present — the time now
  6. rash — hasty
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rash — a series
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — there
  18. pass — a permit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. present — a gift
  21. game — a match
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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