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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: lie · content · bat · stem · present · stick · fan · rule

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lie — to recline
  10. present — a gift
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. content — the amount
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — a law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rule — government
  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