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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — a line
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. rock — music
  13. court — for sport
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. court — of law
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rock — a stone
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. court — of a king
  24. file — a line of people

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