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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. last — to go on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. march — music
  15. last — finally
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. last — final
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hide — to keep secret

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