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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. firm — decided
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bear — the animal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. firm — steady
  19. bear — the animal
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. hand — help
  23. stem — to come from
  24. coach — a trainer

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