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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cue — a signal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wound — an injury
  11. firm — decided
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. season — in sport
  14. firm — a company
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — of the year
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. firm — steady

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