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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: hide · game · arm · deal · stem · current · lie · key

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. current — of water
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stem — to come from
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. key — the most important part
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. current — happening now
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. key — in music
  20. current — electric
  21. deal — to handle
  22. key — for a lock
  23. game — wild animals
  24. hide — to keep secret

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