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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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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: suit · stem · lean · current · roll · lie · cabinet · hide

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. roll — a cake
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. current — electric
  10. lean — thin
  11. roll — a list
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. lie — to recline
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. lean — to bend
  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