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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stem — to come from
  6. fall — to drop
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. lean — to bend
  9. sharp — clever
  10. fall — the season
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. field — for sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fall — to drop
  19. field — farmland
  20. lie — to recline
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lean — thin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. field — a subject

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