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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stem · chest · calf · ball · field · prune · lie · bank

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — a subject
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bank — of a river
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ball — a great time
  12. field — farmland
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

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