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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tear — to rip
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. track — a path
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. track — a song
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. season — of the year
  19. stem — to come from
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — in sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stem — a stem cell

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