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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bound — certain
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. row — a line
  8. rash — a series
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pop — to visit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. rash — hasty

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