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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: present · staff · stem · cell · lean · straw · track · season

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. present — a gift
  3. stem — to come from
  4. present — the time now
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. staff — employees
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — there
  9. staff — a stick
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. lean — thin
  13. staff — employees
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. lean — to bend
  19. track — a song
  20. season — in sport
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. track — a path

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