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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. toast — bread
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — an aim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stem — to come from
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — a thing
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — to protest
  24. nail — for a hammer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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