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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — clever
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stem — to come from
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. saw — the tool
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. can — a tin
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. vault — a safe
  24. can — to be able to

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