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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lean — to bend
  3. drill — army training
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — thin
  6. tear — from crying
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mark — a grade
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lean — to rest against

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