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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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Word bank
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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 · saw · stem · root · season · stick · hide · net

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. season — of the year
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. root — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. root — the cause
  18. net — after costs
  19. stem — to come from
  20. root — of a word
  21. season — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. saw — the tool

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