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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 116 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: stick · sharp · lie · field · leaves · stem · bound · object

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bound — obliged
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — a thing
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bound — certain
  19. object — an aim
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. field — farmland
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — for sport
  24. object — to protest

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