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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 120 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 works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — to protest
  5. fall — to drop
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. shower — to wash
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. object — an aim
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. firm — steady
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. firm — decided
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. object — a thing

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