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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. track — a song
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. squash — the sport
  5. firm — a company
  6. band — a music group
  7. rash — a series
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stem — to come from
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. track — a path
  13. firm — steady
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. track — to keep track
  17. band — a ring
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. squash — to crush
  20. firm — decided
  21. rash — hasty
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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