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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rule — a law
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. content — happy
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rule — government
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. content — the amount
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stem — to come from
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bowl — to roll

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