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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. face — to confront
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. face — to point toward
  15. spell — magic
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. spell — letters
  22. kick — in football
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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