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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stem — to come from
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — the time now
  20. mark — a trace
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stem — of a plant

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