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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cue — a hint
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. charge — in control
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. current — of water
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cue — a signal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. charge — a price
  21. current — happening now
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. current — electric
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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