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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pop — soda
  3. present — there
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. row — a line
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. squash — to crush
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pop — to visit
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. row — to paddle
  14. present — a gift
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. present — the time now
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pop — music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. squash — the sport
  24. stem — a stem cell

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