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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. cap — a hat
  12. capital — money
  13. rash — a series
  14. capital — a city
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cap — a lid
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lie — to recline
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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