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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. field — farmland
  12. net — after costs
  13. field — a subject
  14. net — in sport
  15. stem — to come from
  16. field — for sport
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — a horse colour

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