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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 120 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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. spring — a coil
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spring — the season
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — for dancing
  10. spring — of water
  11. club — for golf
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. rash — a series
  23. club — a group
  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