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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stem — to come from
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fine — all right
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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