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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wound — an injury
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. firm — steady
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — to shout
  23. firm — decided
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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