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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stem — to come from
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — for paper
  11. hand — help
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. clip — to cut
  16. rash — hasty
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rash — a series
  21. clip — a video
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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