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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: land · straw · leaves · stem · clip · lie · firm · can

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. can — to be able to
  5. stem — to come from
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. clip — a video
  8. land — a country
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. firm — decided
  12. land — to come down
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — for paper
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. clip — to cut
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — ground
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. firm — steady
  24. stem — of a plant

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