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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: wound · lie · fall · jam · rush · stick · stem · content

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. fall — the season
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stem — to come from
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. fall — to drop
  17. content — happy
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — the amount
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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