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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. last — final
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitch — completely
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fall — the season
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — to come from
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. dip — to sink
  21. last — finally
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fall — to drop

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