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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 120 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stock — shares
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bass — low music
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — a trail
  24. lie — to recline

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