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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. spring — a coil
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spring — the season
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. deal — to handle
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stem — to come from
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spring — of water
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. stand — on your feet
  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