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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. present — there
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. present — the time now
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. present — a gift
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — music
  24. stem — to come from

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