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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — to be able to
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stem — to come from
  19. drill — army training
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. drill — a practice

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