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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. drill — the tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. staff — a stick
  6. drill — a practice
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. present — there
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. present — a gift
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. drill — army training
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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