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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lean — to bend
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. object — an aim
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. object — a thing
  13. cap — of ice
  14. degree — temperature
  15. object — to protest
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lean — thin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stem — a stem cell

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