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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 120 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: row · rest · season · lie · trunk · stem · cue · saw

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. season — of the year
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — what's left
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — in sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rest — a break
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cue — for pool
  21. row — a line
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cue — a signal

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