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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wake — a trail
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. row — a line
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bear — the animal

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