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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mark — a grade
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rest — a break
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. shower — rain
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mark — a trace

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