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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. can — a tin
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — to come from
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bank — of a river
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. craft — a skill
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — boats
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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