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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. last — finally
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — decided
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. last — final
  14. lie — to recline
  15. firm — a company
  16. last — to go on
  17. lean — thin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fall — to drop
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. face — to confront

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