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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stem — to come from
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. branch — a division
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mark — a grade
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bulb — for light

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