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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. present — a gift
  8. stem — to come from
  9. present — there
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bound — certain
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bound — obliged
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — finally
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. cap — a lid
  19. last — final
  20. present — the time now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — of ice
  24. content — happy

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