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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. drill — the tool
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. suit — to fit
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. suit — in cards
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. drill — army training
  21. stem — to come from
  22. toast — bread
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chip — to eat

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