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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 124 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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pop — soda
  8. craft — boats
  9. pop — music
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. root — the cause
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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