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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. shower — rain
  5. toast — bread
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. shower — to wash
  11. craft — boats
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. wound — an injury
  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