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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — soda
  8. hand — help
  9. bear — the animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. land — a country
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wake — a trail
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — in cards
  22. land — ground
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. arm — part of the body

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