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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. present — a gift
  3. lie — to recline
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. present — there
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bear — the animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a plant
  19. present — the time now
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — electric

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