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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mark — a grade
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stem — to come from
  9. last — final
  10. mark — a trace
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rock — a stone
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rock — music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. last — to go on
  21. row — a line
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. last — finally
  24. mark — to pay attention

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