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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. track — a path
  4. suit — in cards
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. wake — a trail
  11. track — a song
  12. chest — of your body
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chest — a box
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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