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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. key — in music
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — a stem cell

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