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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cap — of ice
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cell — in biology
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bass — low music
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cap — a hat

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