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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wound — an injury
  3. hand — help
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bank — for money
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bank — for money
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cue — a signal

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