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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mug — a face
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. chest — of your body
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. lie — to recline
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chest — a box
  23. stem — to come from
  24. sharp — exactly

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