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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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. cell — in a prison
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fall — the season
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lie — to recline
  10. cell — in biology
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rest — what's left
  13. press — to push
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — a break
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wound — an injury

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