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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ball — a dance
  4. track — a song
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. row — to paddle
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — the season
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. row — a line
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — a path
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. track — to keep track
  24. pitcher — a jug

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