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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. drill — a practice
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — the tool
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wake — a trail
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. drill — army training
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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