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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. can — a tin
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bark — to shout
  8. can — a tin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. row — to paddle
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. row — a line
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. can — to be able to
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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