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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — to recline
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lean — thin
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — a signal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lie — an untruth

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