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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. present — a gift
  5. kid — child
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. tube — a container
  8. object — an aim
  9. tube — the underground
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. fine — all right
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — a series
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. object — a thing
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rash — hasty
  24. object — to protest

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