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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. field — a subject
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. field — farmland
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — for sport
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ball — a dance
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stem — to come from
  23. rest — what's left
  24. ball — a great time

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