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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 120 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stem — to come from
  14. current — of water
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — a signal
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — electric

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