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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fall — to drop
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fall — the season
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. straw — dry grass

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