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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rest — a break
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. lie — to recline
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spring — a coil
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. press — to push
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spring — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spring — the season
  22. stem — to come from
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. tube — a container

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