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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fall — the season
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. clip — a video
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. pit — in a race
  22. lie — to recline
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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