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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. game — a match
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. object — a thing
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. last — final
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. last — to go on
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. object — to protest
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. last — finally
  21. object — an aim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — wild animals
  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