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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bark — to shout
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. race — the arms race
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. row — a line
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. row — to paddle
  15. cue — for pool
  16. race — a contest
  17. cue — a hint
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cue — a signal
  21. race — humankind
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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