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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 116 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wound — an injury
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pound — a weight
  21. stem — to come from
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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