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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bound — certain
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bound — obliged
  8. rest — a break
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bass — low music
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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