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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rock — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — for light
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chair — a leader

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