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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. craft — boats
  4. ground — a position
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ground — crushed
  11. stem — to come from
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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