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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. stem — to come from
  3. drill — the tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. tube — the underground
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. drill — army training
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. tube — a container
  24. wind — moving air

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