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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. prune — to trim
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bass — low music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. foot — a measure
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. stem — of a plant
  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