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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pop — soda
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. season — in sport
  7. rash — hasty
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pop — to visit
  12. stem — to come from
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — of the year
  17. game — a match
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rash — a series
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. game — wild animals

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