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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · dip · squash · bay · cue · stem · court · sharp

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. court — of a king
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stem — to come from
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. squash — the sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. sharp — clever
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of law
  23. squash — to crush
  24. dip — to dunk

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