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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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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mark — a trace
  6. toast — bread
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — to come from
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. game — a match
  21. rest — a break
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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