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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: tear · suit · mouse · fork · pit · lie · roll · stem

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tear — to rip
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. tear — from crying
  15. roll — a list
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. suit — to fit
  20. lie — to recline
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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