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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fall — to drop
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — the season
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. race — a contest
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lean — thin
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — humankind
  23. bass — low music
  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