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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bear — the animal
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. press — a publisher
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — wild animals
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bear — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. bear — to put up with

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