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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  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. trunk — of a car
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. firm — steady
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. firm — a company
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lie — to recline
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. firm — decided
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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