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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — a gift
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lean — thin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — government
  12. present — the time now
  13. suit — to fit
  14. present — there
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rule — a law
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wake — a trail

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