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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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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: mark · lean · bay · stem · rash · roll · pit · bound

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rash — a series
  5. stem — to come from
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bound — tied together
  13. lean — thin
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pit — in a race
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. roll — a list

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