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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. key — for a lock
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. club — a group
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. key — in music
  19. club — for golf
  20. track — a path
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. club — for dancing
  24. track — to keep track

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