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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cold — an illness
  3. deal — to handle
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. season — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. cold — not warm
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. march — music
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rock — a stone
  17. march — the month
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. season — of the year
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — to come from

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