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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. can — a tin
  5. mate — a partner
  6. staff — employees
  7. game — a match
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. staff — a stick
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. can — to be able to
  15. lie — to recline
  16. prune — to trim
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — wild animals
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lie — an untruth

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