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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 116 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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. cue — a signal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a great time
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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