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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pass — a permit
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chair — a leader
  23. track — a path
  24. stem — a stem cell

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