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

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. cue — a signal
  4. key — in music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mine — for digging
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stem — to come from
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stem — of a plant

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