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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chest — a box
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — magic
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — part of the head
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — to fit
  16. face — to confront
  17. spell — a short time
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. field — for sport
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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