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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cell — in biology
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. last — final
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pit — in a race
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. last — to go on
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. board — to get on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. board — a committee

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