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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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. chair — to sit on
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. chair — a leader
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pop — to visit
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — to come from
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — soda
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. can — a tin
  18. rash — a series
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pop — music
  22. clip — to cut
  23. clip — a video
  24. nail — for a hammer

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