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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tear — to rip
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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