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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cap — a lid
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. season — of the year
  8. band — a music group
  9. cap — of ice
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. season — in sport
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cap — a hat
  16. band — a ring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. current — electric
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  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