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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stem — to come from
  4. lie — to recline
  5. net — in sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — after costs
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pop — to visit
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mug — a face
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stem — a stem cell

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