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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bound — obliged
  5. row — a line
  6. bound — certain
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. current — of water
  16. row — to paddle
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — tied together
  19. current — electric
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. current — happening now

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