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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 120 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: pass · stem · trunk · game · mate · key · wind · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stem — to come from
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — in music
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. key — the most important part
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — a match
  24. key — for a lock

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