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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 116 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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bound — certain
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bound — tied together
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bound — obliged
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bank — for money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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