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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. chest — of your body
  5. present — the time now
  6. root — of a plant
  7. present — a gift
  8. season — of the year
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. root — of a word
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — the cause
  17. chest — of your body
  18. season — in sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chest — a box
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. present — there
  24. season — to add flavour

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