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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. file — a line of people
  11. race — the arms race
  12. file — a document
  13. race — a contest
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wake — a trail
  19. race — humankind
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. file — a tool

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