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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — to keep track
  5. staff — a stick
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mug — to rob
  10. stem — to come from
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. track — a path
  14. roll — a list
  15. mug — a face
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mug — a cup
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. track — a song

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