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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. object — to protest
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spell — letters
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. track — to keep track
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. net — for catching
  16. object — an aim
  17. track — a song
  18. lie — to recline
  19. net — in sport
  20. spell — magic
  21. net — after costs
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — a thing

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