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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — for catching
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. swing — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — to play on
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. object — to protest
  10. board — a committee
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. object — a thing
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. net — after costs
  15. swing — in golf
  16. object — an aim
  17. row — to paddle
  18. net — in sport
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. row — a line
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stem — to come from

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