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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: mate · bound · straw · stem · safe · degree · game · stand

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mate — to breed
  3. degree — temperature
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mate — a friend
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — an amount
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a match
  17. stem — to come from
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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