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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · rule · bay · stem · mate · wind

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rule — government
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mate — a friend

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