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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. mug — a cup
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — a face
  5. face — part of the head
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stem — to come from
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mug — to rob
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ball — a great time

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