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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. can — to be able to
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. roll — a cake
  12. tear — to rip
  13. can — a tin
  14. drill — a practice
  15. tear — from crying
  16. drill — army training
  17. roll — a list
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. present — the time now
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stem — to come from
  22. tear — from crying
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. can — a tin

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