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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. capital — money
  10. stem — to come from
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. kid — to tease
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stem — of a plant

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