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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stem — to come from
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. tear — from crying
  7. suit — to fit
  8. face — to point toward
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. face — to confront
  23. ball — a great time
  24. face — part of the head

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