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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. sharp — clever
  3. track — a path
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. prune — to trim
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — to trim
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. track — to keep track
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. dip — to sink

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