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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. rock — a stone
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fine — high quality
  9. firm — a company
  10. clip — to cut
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the sport
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fine — all right
  15. firm — steady
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. clip — for paper
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. clip — a video
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rock — music

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