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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rule — a law
  4. snap — to click
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bound — certain
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. file — a tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rule — government
  24. file — a document

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