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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stem — to come from
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — a price
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. date — the fruit
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. charge — in control
  24. bound — certain

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