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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. last — finally
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — to come from
  7. last — final
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — of a river
  15. board — a committee
  16. march — music
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — to go on
  19. bank — for money
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bank — for money
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. march — the month
  24. board — to get on

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