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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. object — a thing
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — to protest
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — an aim
  18. toast — bread
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. toast — the most admired

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