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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. key — in music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. branch — a division
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — to push
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stem — a stem cell

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