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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. hand — help
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bound — obliged
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — to come from
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — the most important part
  17. net — in sport
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bound — tied together
  24. key — in music

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