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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fall — the season
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. club — for golf
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rule — a law
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cap — a lid

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