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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: sharp · lie · bulb · rule · fall · wound · stem · club

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. rule — a law
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — government
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fall — the season
  9. stem — to come from
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — a group
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bulb — for light
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. club — for golf

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