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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bound — certain
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rest — a break
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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