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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. object — to protest
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chair — a leader
  13. object — a thing
  14. wake — a trail
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. object — an aim

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