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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: hand · rule · field · stem · sharp · bore · toast · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. toast — bread
  6. field — farmland
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bore — to drill
  17. sharp — clever
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rule — a law
  23. lie — to recline
  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