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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. roll — a list
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — a match
  19. track — a path
  20. track — to keep track
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. track — a song
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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