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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stem — to come from
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pound — a weight
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. stand — to bear
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. snap — to click
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. game — a match
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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