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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. season — in sport
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kid — to tease
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kid — child
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cue — a signal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cue — a hint

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