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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · stick · bore · club · stem · mark

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. club — for golf
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. club — a group

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