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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. scale — in music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stem — to come from
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. present — there
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chair — a leader
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. present — the time now
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. present — a gift
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. fine — all right
  23. scale — size or range
  24. rush — to hurry

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