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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lie — to recline
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. last — final
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. last — to go on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mug — a face
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. last — finally
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mug — to rob
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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