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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. land — ground
  4. rock — music
  5. land — a country
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — a stone
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. chest — a box
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a tool
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — to come down
  24. rock — to move gently

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