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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. land — to come down
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — a country
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bound — tied together
  22. degree — from a university
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — ground

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