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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. track — a song
  4. object — to protest
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. track — to keep track
  17. object — a thing
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a path
  20. cell — in biology
  21. object — an aim
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stem — to come from

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