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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cue — a signal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. cue — for pool
  9. band — a music group
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cue — a hint
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. band — a ring
  16. toast — bread
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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