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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 120 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fall — the season
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stem — to come from
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. straw — a straw man

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