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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wound — an injury
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stem — to come from
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mark — a trace
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. mark — a grade
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wound — an injury

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