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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stem — to come from
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. roll — a list
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. roll — a cake
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pass — a permit

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