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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rock — music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hand — help
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — a stone

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