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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · swing · bear · stem · cap · race

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. race — the arms race
  11. swing — music
  12. race — humankind
  13. cap — a lid
  14. race — a contest
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cap — a hat

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