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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. drill — army training
  5. dip — to sink
  6. can — a tin
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rash — hasty
  9. stand — to bear
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. can — to be able to
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — a tin
  22. rash — a series
  23. rock — music
  24. dip — a sauce

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