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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — final
  4. mate — to breed
  5. last — to go on
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. staff — employees
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. last — finally
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a friend
  15. swing — in golf
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. swing — music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cold — an illness
  20. swing — to play on
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lie — an untruth

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