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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — a company
  5. stock — goods
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. firm — steady
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. firm — decided
  21. stock — shares
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. staff — a stick

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