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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. face — to confront
  5. spring — of water
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — the season
  9. lie — to recline
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stem — to come from
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. spring — a coil
  24. row — a line

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