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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. march — the month
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fine — high quality
  5. degree — from a university
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. firm — a company
  11. degree — an amount
  12. march — the month
  13. firm — decided
  14. fine — all right
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — to fit
  18. tear — to rip
  19. firm — steady
  20. degree — temperature
  21. march — music
  22. stem — to come from
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — clothes

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