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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pitch — completely
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. swing — to play on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — in music
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — in golf
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. dip — to sink
  18. swing — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wind — moving air
  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