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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — a thing
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cell — in biology
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. object — to protest
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. object — an aim
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rock — music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stem — a stem cell

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