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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 120 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. snap — to click
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pop — soda
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cue — for pool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. deal — to handle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pop — music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. pop — to visit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — a hint

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