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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stem — to come from
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. cell — a phone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — a signal
  17. key — in music
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mark — to pay attention

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