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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stock — shares
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. bear — the animal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stock — goods
  18. land — a country
  19. spell — magic
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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