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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lie — an untruth

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