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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. key — the most important part
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. branch — a division
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stem — to come from
  18. key — for a lock
  19. clip — a video
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — in music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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