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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: lean · pit · club · bay · hand · bear · saw · stem

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pit — in a race
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hand — in cards
  12. club — a group
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. hand — help
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for golf

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