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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. charge — in control
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pass — a permit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mug — a cup
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. object — to protest
  21. shower — rain
  22. spring — the season
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. spring — of water

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