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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: lie · present · wind · dip · stem · mate · pop · staff

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — a stick
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to sink
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — there
  13. stem — to come from
  14. staff — employees
  15. mate — a friend
  16. present — a gift
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pop — music
  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