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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. drill — army training
  12. bound — obliged
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — to be able to
  19. drill — a practice
  20. dip — to sink
  21. drill — the tool
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stem — to come from

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