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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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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — the animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — in cards
  20. toast — bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hand — part of the body

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