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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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