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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fall — the season
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. march — music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — shares
  9. present — a gift
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — goods
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. march — the month
  20. present — the time now
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. safe — a strongbox

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