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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. row — a line
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. game — a match
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rash — a series

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