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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 124 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rush — hurry
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mug — a face
  6. chest — of your body
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chest — a box
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stem — to come from
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. field — farmland
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. prune — to trim
  16. field — a subject
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. craft — boats
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. field — for sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rush — to hurry
  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