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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. club — for dancing
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — a hole
  6. sharp — clever
  7. last — to go on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. suit — to fit
  13. club — for golf
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. suit — in cards
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stem — to come from
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. club — a group
  24. shower — rain

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