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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. lean — to bend
  14. stem — to come from
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — for catching
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lean — thin

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