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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: bound · key · bay · wind · date · stem · chest · perch

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. key — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wind — moving air
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bound — obliged
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chest — a box
  17. date — the fruit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bound — certain
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chest — of your body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. date — on the calendar

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