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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. can — to be able to
  3. lie — to recline
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. can — a tin
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. present — a gift
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cold — an illness
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cold — not warm
  21. swing — music
  22. present — there
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. swing — to play on

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