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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. march — music
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. fall — the season
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. dip — to sink
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. march — the month
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stem — to come from
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fall — to drop

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