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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chip — to eat
  7. ball — a dance
  8. branch — a division
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cap — a hat
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wake — a trail
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. ball — a great time

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