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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mate — a partner
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a friend
  7. craft — a skill
  8. degree — from a university
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. craft — boats
  13. degree — an amount
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mark — a trace

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