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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. sharp — clever
  5. mug — a face
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lean — thin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lean — to bend
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — a cup
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. tube — a container
  24. leaves — of a tree

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