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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. saw — the tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — to come from
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — the earth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ground — a position
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. capital — money
  15. ground — crushed
  16. board — a committee
  17. capital — a city
  18. bore — to drill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. saw — the tool

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