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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stem — to come from
  6. track — a path
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. track — a song
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bound — certain
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fine — a penalty

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