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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stem — to come from
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. charge — a price
  14. tube — the underground
  15. charge — in control
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. lie — to recline
  18. tube — a container
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. charge — electricity
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hide — to keep secret

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