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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. key — in music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mug — a face
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — the most important part
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — the fish
  19. kick — in football
  20. mug — a cup
  21. capital — money
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mug — to rob

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