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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. file — a document
  6. stem — to come from
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. file — a tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bulb — for light
  24. temple — a place of worship

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