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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stem — to come from
  3. can — a tin
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. root — of a word
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. root — the cause
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. nail — on a finger

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