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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — low music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fall — to drop
  16. date — the fruit
  17. key — in music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — the season
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. staff — employees

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