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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — to get on
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. drill — army training
  10. board — a committee
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. drill — a practice
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a face
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. drill — the tool

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