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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. object — an aim
  6. stem — to come from
  7. present — there
  8. ground — crushed
  9. present — a gift
  10. ground — the earth
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. object — to protest
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. object — a thing
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ground — a position
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. present — the time now
  24. fan — to cool the air

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