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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bound — certain
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mark — a trace
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bound — obliged
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. row — a line
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bound — tied together
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mark — a grade

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