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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. object — an aim
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cap — of ice
  7. object — to protest
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. object — a thing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — soda
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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