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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. current — of water
  3. stem — to come from
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. game — a match
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lean — to bend
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. suit — in cards
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. suit — clothes

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