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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tube — a container
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. tube — the underground
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — a strongbox

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