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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. firm — steady
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. firm — a company
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. firm — decided
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kick — in football
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. spell — letters
  23. shower — rain
  24. kick — with a leg

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