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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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Word bank
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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: stem · mine · fall · hand · deal · fan · toast · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — bread
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hand — help

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