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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. pound — a weight
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. saw — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fine — high quality
  19. file — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. stem — to come from
  23. file — a document
  24. drill — a practice

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