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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stem — to come from
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kid — child
  9. object — a thing
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bank — for money
  12. kid — to tease
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. object — to protest
  18. saw — the tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bank — of a river
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — an aim

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