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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 116 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. hand — help
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pop — to visit

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