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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. cue — for pool
  4. race — a contest
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — bread
  13. stem — to come from
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. race — humankind
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cue — a hint
  24. lie — to recline

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