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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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. file — a line of people
  4. kick — in football
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. press — newspapers
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — to push
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. press — a publisher
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mate — a partner
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — a law

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