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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. board — a committee
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cap — a lid
  8. board — to get on
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. stem — to come from
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. spell — letters
  22. cap — of ice
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spell — magic

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