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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: wake · stock · perch · bay · mine · stem · cell · mate

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stem — to come from
  6. perch — the fish
  7. stock — shares
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stock — goods
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mate — a partner
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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