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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. land — a country
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — in a race
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. land — ground
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. pit — a hole

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