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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. firm — a company
  5. race — the arms race
  6. stem — to come from
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — steady
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fall — to drop
  15. toast — bread
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mark — a grade
  18. firm — decided
  19. race — humankind
  20. fall — the season
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — a contest

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