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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. court — for sport
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — to come from
  16. charge — in control
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. charge — electricity

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