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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rock — a stone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pound — a weight
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rash — hasty
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rock — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. spell — letters
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. racket — for tennis

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