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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. 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. cap — of ice
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. field — for sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. object — a thing
  6. field — farmland
  7. tube — a container
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. object — to protest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cap — a hat
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. object — an aim
  23. field — a subject
  24. 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