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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chip — for betting
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stock — goods
  11. shower — rain
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. file — a document
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — a division
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. file — a tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stock — shares
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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