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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. suit — to fit
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fork — in a road
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mark — a grade
  14. suit — in cards
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mark — a trace
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stem — a stem cell

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