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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. can — to be able to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — the animal
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. kid — child
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. lean — thin

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