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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. swing — to play on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. drill — army training
  13. cell — in biology
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — to come from
  19. swing — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cell — a phone
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stem — of a plant

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