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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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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 · wind · wound · key · stem · pass · foot · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — rain
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — to come from
  6. key — in music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. key — the most important part

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