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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pit — a hole
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. last — final
  16. pit — in a race
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. last — finally
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lie — an untruth

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