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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — to go on
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spring — of water
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — decided
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — a coil
  14. last — finally
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — clever
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. spring — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. last — final

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