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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 a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. suit — clothes
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — a company
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stem — to come from
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — not warm
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. file — a document
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. firm — steady
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mine — for digging
  23. firm — decided
  24. prune — to trim

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