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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: present · bay · wave · key · pop · stem · can · cell

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. cell — in biology
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pop — soda
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. can — a tin
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — the time now
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cell — a phone
  17. pop — music
  18. present — a gift
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. present — there
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bay — a horse colour

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