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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. suit — clothes
  4. can — a tin
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. suit — in cards
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stem — to come from
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wake — a trail
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. suit — to fit
  24. straw — a straw man

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