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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — a trace
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. face — to confront
  6. can — a tin
  7. cue — a signal
  8. face — to point toward
  9. can — to be able to
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — to come from
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cue — a hint
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. face — part of the head
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cue — for pool

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