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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. kid — child
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pass — a permit
  5. track — a path
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. track — a song
  11. lie — to recline
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. band — a ring
  18. kid — to tease
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. lie — an untruth
  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