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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lie — to recline
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. squash — to crush
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — a skill
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. mate — a friend
  20. craft — boats
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mate — to breed
  24. straw — a straw man

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