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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. march — the month
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. march — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. march — the month
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stem — to come from
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hide — animal skin
  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