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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hand — help
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. firm — decided
  7. track — a song
  8. firm — a company
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. firm — steady
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stem — to come from
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. rock — a stone
  20. track — to keep track
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rock — music

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