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

Word bank: stem · straw · cap · can · pit · mate · row · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cap — a hat
  5. stem — to come from
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cap — a lid
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mate — to breed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pit — a hole
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cap — of ice
  21. can — a tin
  22. rest — a break
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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