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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. track — a song
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lie — to recline
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. track — a path
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rule — a law
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rock — a 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