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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bore — to tire
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — a grade
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — to come from
  17. perch — the fish
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — for a bird

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