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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. present — the time now
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — to crush
  12. stem — to come from
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bound — certain
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. squash — the sport
  19. present — a gift
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. sharp — clever
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stand — on your feet

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