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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 124 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fall — the season
  8. firm — decided
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. firm — a company
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. firm — steady
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. prune — the fruit

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