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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 116 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stem — to come from
  3. last — final
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rule — government
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rule — a law
  12. last — finally
  13. fine — high quality
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — all right
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mine — for digging
  23. last — to go on
  24. stem — a stem cell

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