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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 · hide · stick · bowl · deal · stem · pop · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pop — to visit
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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