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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bear — the animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — electricity
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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