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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.

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: stem · can · date · pit · bay · arm · lean · sharp

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. can — a tin
  5. date — the fruit
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. sharp — clever
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stem — to come from
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. can — to be able to

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