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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stem — to come from
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a friend
  8. dip — to sink
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mate — to breed
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wax — to grow
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. dip — to dunk

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