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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fall — the season
  5. content — happy
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wind — moving air
  12. key — in music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. fall — to drop
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. key — for a lock
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rush — a thrill

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