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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · fan · lie · season · hide · wound · stick · stem

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. season — of the year
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stem — to come from
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rush — hurry
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — an untruth

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