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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bank — for money
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bank — of a river
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. kid — child
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bank — for money
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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