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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stem — to come from
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. object — a thing
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. object — an aim
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — the tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. file — a document
  20. pit — in a race
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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