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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. row — a line
  23. stem — to come from
  24. sharp — exactly

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