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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. object — an aim
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. stem — to come from
  5. land — ground
  6. stock — goods
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. land — to come down
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. object — a thing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. object — to protest
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. land — a country
  23. stock — shares
  24. stem — a stem cell

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