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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tube — a container
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. kid — child
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fall — the season
  20. tube — the underground
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kid — to tease
  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