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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stem — to come from
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. track — to keep track
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. track — a path
  9. sharp — clever
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bass — low music
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bass — the fish
  18. track — a song
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. leaves — of a tree

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