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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stock — shares
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. cell — a phone
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stock — goods
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fine — high quality
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stem — to come from
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cell — in a prison

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