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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. band — a music group
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. band — a ring
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — soda
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — to visit
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. stem — of a plant

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