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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pop — soda
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wound — an injury
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fall — to drop
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fall — the season
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pop — music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. prune — the fruit

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