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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — a country
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. land — ground
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lie — to recline
  9. field — for sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. field — a subject
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. craft — boats
  22. rock — music
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — to come down

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