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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. toast — bread
  4. tube — the underground
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fall — the season
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pass — a permit
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — to succeed

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