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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. scale — in music
  16. shower — rain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mark — a trace
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lie — to recline
  24. scale — size or range

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