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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. field — a subject
  3. snap — to click
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. toast — bread
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. stem — to come from
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pit — in a race
  11. field — farmland
  12. pit — a hole
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. field — for sport
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. file — a document
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. root — of a plant
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. root — of a word

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