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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hand — help
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stem — to come from
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — boats
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — in a race
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lie — to recline

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