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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. spell — magic
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cell — a phone
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. spell — letters
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cell — in biology
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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